My dear Sir

In a collection of Crustacea recently added to the British Museum—I saw a day or two since four specimens of Gelasimus from Zanzibar, all of which had the left arm the larger. When I wrote to you previously I felt a doubt on the subject¹

As far as my experience goes all long & large armed crustacea are indolent & sub-burrowing creatures. May not the big claw be for the purpose of reaching far & drawing food within reach of the smaller & more directly feeding claws and to seize the female when at a distance?—²

Yours sincerely | C. Spence Bate

May 24—68